Making Sense of God

Contents
Why does it even matter?
Introduction
Concept of God
The Natural State
Creation of the Universe
The Designed Universe
The God Conclusion
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3
7
9
13
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25

God. What is there left to say that
hasn’t already been said?
These three little letters have always invited big reactions
of every kind. Our interest in God has never waned.
Philosophers, scientists, theologians and laymen alike
have debated this topic for centuries and continue to
do so.
Some people refuse to accept that the question of God
is even important, while others maintain it is central to
every moment of their existence. Some doubt if God
exists. Others are as sure of God’s existence as they
are of their own existence!1
Introduction

4
Why does it
even matter?
There are so many reasons why
people hold back from belief in God.
Some might simply see no need for God in their lives,
and the idea of submitting to a higher authority may
be enough to close the entire conversation. For others,
the idea of any drastic change in lifestyle can be too
intimidating to contemplate.
Some may have had negative personal experiences
with people who claim to be following some kind of
God or religion. Certainly, many could be forgiven for
not being tempted by belief, given the continuous
stream of negative press on the topic of religion.
It is tempting to just brush off all religions, together with
any discussion of God, and live like everyone else or
just do what seems to feel good at the time. That may
seem fine for a while, but in the end important questions
remain unanswered and they never really go away.
MAKING SENSE OF GOD

5
Dwell for a moment on this scenario:
Imagine you wake up. You find yourself on a fast moving
train. You have no idea how you got there. Other people
on the train are in the same situation. Panicked, you try
and ask where the train is headed to and how you ended
up travelling on it, but to your surprise no one seems
to care.
Instead, they are busy talking, eating and reading the
newspaper! Would you just join the rest of them and be
indifferent to your predicament or would you continue to
seek an answer? Whether you like it or not, you are on
the train and you are going somewhere.
Those are the facts. Similarly we are here on Earth and
we have been thrown into existence; we didn’t choose
to be here but we are here. Also, our time is limited and
we will eventually die.
Death is something no one wants to talk about, yet it
is something we all agree will happen. It is natural to
wonder: “Why am I here?”, “What is my destination?”,
“Is death the end, or another stage on the journey?”
WHY DOES IT EVEN MATTER?

6
If you reflect deeply about your own life and mortality,
the issue of God’s existence is immediately important.
That is not to say that someone should believe in God
simply because they are scared of death; rather it makes
knowing the answer to the question of whether God truly
exists more urgent.
If there is a God then we need to take notice and
understand what we are created for. Everything that we
as humans do has a purpose. Likewise, the parts of our
bodies have certain purposes.
Our eyes are to see, our ears to hear, our hearts exists
to pump blood. So it makes sense that we too are
created for a purpose.
Did you think that We had created you in play
(without any purpose), and that you would not
be brought back to Us?
The Qur’an, Chapter 23, Verse 115
WHY DOES IT EVEN MATTER?

7
Concept
of God
Before we look into why the belief
in God is both natural and rational,
we need to define what we are
speaking about.
When someone says they do not believe in God,
perhaps the first question we should ask is: “What sort
of God is it that you don’t believe in?”
Sometimes the reason why people are confused about
God is that there are various concepts of God which
are incoherent, contradictory, and counterintuitive.
It may even be the reason why some people claim to
be atheists.
For example the idea of God as a grey bearded man in
the sky, sitting on a chair and throwing lighting at evil
people is a concept that doesn’t make any sense for
several reasons.
MAKING SENSE OF GOD

8
First: What does it even mean to say that God could be
the creator of mankind if He resembles mankind? If that
were the case, then it makes sense to ask who made
God? Second: It’s obvious that not only evil people get
struck by lightning, good people seem to get struck as
well. If someone starts off with a wrong concept of God,
it will not be surprising that they end up rejecting belief.
There is, however, a concept of God that is intuitive and
rational. We can find references to it throughout history
and across cultures. It is the idea that there is a Creator
who is One, Eternal, Self-sufficient and Unique.
This Creator-God is in no way like the creation, nor is
the creation is any way equal or comparable to God.
Just like a carpenter doesn’t become or is part of the
table, with greater reason God is distinct from His
creation. There is nothing incoherent or irrational about
this belief. In fact, this concept is both intuitive and
rational and is summed up superbly in the following
verses of the Qur’an:
Say, ‘He is God the One, God the Eternal.
He begot not nor was He begotten.
No one is comparable to Him.
The Qur’an, Chapter 112, Verses 1 to 4
CONCEPT OF GOD

9
The Natural State
The religion of Islam teaches that every
human being already has a type of
essential and instinctive knowledge of
God deep within themselves, and that
the external world can bury that insight
or grow it.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) explained
that each child is born in a natural state; however, it is
parenting and social effects that spoil it. The natural state
is one within which the person acknowledges that there
is a Creator and, that the Creator alone is worthy
of worship.
Societal pressures, desires and other factors can cover
this natural state with beliefs that are unnatural, such as
worshipping entities other than God, humanising God,
or denying God altogether. Belief in God does not
require rational justification.
MAKING SENSE OF GOD

10
Your God is the one God: there is no god except
Him, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy.
In the creation of the heavens and earth; in the
alternation of night and day; in the ships that
sail the seas with goods for people; in the water
which God sends down from the sky to give life to
the earth when it has been barren, scattering all
kinds of creatures over it; in the changing of the
winds and clouds that run their appointed courses
between the sky and earth: there are signs in all
these for those who use their minds.
The Qur’an, Chapter 2 Verses 163 to 164
Apart from rational arguments, traumatic, negative and
extreme experiences also act as triggers to uncover
our internal belief in God. It is not uncommon to hear
about someone coming to belief in God due to
such occurrences.
This is not to say that God’s existence cannot be
understood through rational arguments, of course it
can. What should be comprehended is that rational
arguments only serve as triggers to uncover the natural
state. The Qur’an invites to uncover the belief in God
by providing triggers for reflection, by presenting ‘signs’
and inviting critical engagement of the mind and heart.
MAKING SENSE OF GOD

11
It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea
until, when you are sailing on ships and rejoicing in
the favouring wind, a storm arrives: waves come at
those on board from all sides and they feel there is
no escape. Then they pray to God, professing sincere
devotion to Him, ‘If You save us from this we shall
be truly thankful.’ Yet no sooner does He save them
than, back on land, they behave outrageously
against all that is right. People! Your outrageous
behaviour only works against yourselves. Take your
little enjoyment in this present life; in the end you
will return to Us and We shall confront you with
everything you have done.
Even though mankind calls out to God when they face
such experiences, they more often forget Him when the
easy times come:
You don’t even need to be in a dire situation to
remember God. Taking a few moments and reflecting
about the inevitable meeting with death, and the trivial
nature of this very short life is enough to make you
reconsider your relationship with God.
Another window of opportunity to uncover our natural
state are spiritual experiences attained through worship.
THE NATURAL STATE

12
Even if you happen to be someone who is unsure
whether God exists, a spiritual experience may give you
that certainty that no rational argument can. As humans,
we are made of physical matter, but we also have a
spiritual dimension. No amount of physical pleasure,
whether it’s from food, sex, fame, or anything else can
fulfil our spiritual needs.
It is something only a connection with God can satisfy,
and it has to be experienced to be appreciated and
understood. It is like describing a new delicacy to
someone, nothing you say can make them appreciate
the delightful tastes and textures. They have to eat
it themselves.
Those who have faith and whose hearts find
peace in the remembrance of God, truly it is in
the remembrance of God that hearts find peace,
those who believe and do righteous deeds: joy
awaits these, and their final homecoming will
be excellent.
THE NATURAL STATE

13
Or were they created by nothing? Or were they the
creators [of themselves]? Or did they create the
heavens and Earth? Rather, they are not certain.
Creation of
the Universe
Within the Qur’an, God addresses
the question of belief directly to us.
Through a series of questions appealing to our rational
thought, we are asked to ponder on the origins of our
lives; not as scientists or philosophers (though they are,
of course, welcome also!), but as people who have
faculties of reason and critical thinking.
To engage us intellectually, God presents a number
of reasonable explanations for how everything came
into existence:
MAKING SENSE OF GOD

14
Each of these possible explanations can be broken
down into the following options:
• We were created by nothing;
• We are self-created;
• We are created by something self-created;
• We are created by something uncreated.
Although these explanations refer to the human being,
they can also be applied to anything that began to exist,
or anything that emerged. The universe was not always
in existence, it once began to exist. There are many
arguments to support this notion.
For instance there is philosophical, mathematical and
empirical evidence to support the universe once having
a beginning. It is not in the scope of this booklet to go
into detail about proving the beginning of the universe;
however, you will find the following reference useful.2
Since the universe had a beginning, the possible
explanations mentioned above can be adapted into
the following options:
• The universe was created by nothing;
• The universe was self-created;
• The universe was created by something created;
• The universe was created by something uncreated.
MAKING SENSE OF GOD

15
The universe was created by nothing
This is the first option. To define our terms, “nothing”
is the absence of all things—be that matter, energy,
material or non-material objects or any causal condition.
To look at the universe and ourselves as something
that came to be from no potential, no matter, nothing at
all—is quite a tricky idea to wrap our heads around.
Basic logic would dictate that from nothing,
nothing comes. From something, something comes.
Can something arise when there were no causal
conditions to bring it into being? The mere suggestion
of it borders on the absurd, let alone holding it as a
belief. This would be akin to saying that anything can
happen with no causal condition preceding it.
A building could randomly disappear and we would
think nothing of it; a bunch of rabbits could appear
in your garden and you would think it completely
reasonable to just assume that they just popped into
existence. It is not a scenario any one of us would
accept as logical. Some might argue: if something
cannot come from nothing, then how did God create
from nothing?
CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

16
Even though Islamic scholars refer to God creating
from nothing, this act of creation means that there was
no material stuff. However, it does not assume that there
were no causal conditions or potential. God’s will and
power were the causal conditions to bring the universe
into existence.
The universe was self-created
The universe was created by
something created
To ‘self-create’ means that the universe did not exist
before it emerged. How can something create itself
when it was once not even in existence? Would a
woman be capable of giving birth to her own self?
It also stands to reason, if something once did not
exist, could it have the power to create anything,
let alone itself? This is why the attribute of God as
“The Eternal” (and therefore uncreated) becomes
so important to consider.
If we assume that the universe was created by
something else created, the next question would
surely be: what created that created thing?
MAKING SENSE OF GOD

17
Once we have the answer to that, we go another step
to “what created that created thing which created that
created thing…” and so on. We could go on with this
‘step up’ of creators indefinitely.
This is something called the ‘infinite regress of causes’.
It keeps asking us to peel back the layers at every stage
with “and then?” “and then?” and “and then?” as our
answer, no matter how many times it was answered.
The universe—which is a created thing—could not,
by necessity, be created by something that was itself
created, ad infinitum. Another way of thinking about
this is illustrated in the following example.
Imagine you want to walk into an office building.
The security guard says you can’t enter as he needs
to get permission from his manager, the manager says
he needs get permission from his wife, the wife says
she needs to check with her cousin and so on forever,
you will never enter the building in that case.
There has to be someone that gives you permission
to enter without depending on anyone else. In other
words there has to be a first cause which is uncaused.
Likewise the universe must have had a first cause.

18
He is the First and the Last; the Outer and the
Inner; He has knowledge of all things.
The universe was created by
something uncreated
By a process of elimination, we come to the final
option: the universe was created by something
uncreated. Considering the previous option (that there
cannot be an endless chain of temporary causes)
then we conclude rationally that the beginning of
existence started with something independent and
uncreated itself.
If finite things exist, then they came to be by something
which always existed. As one of His most defining
attributes, God tells us that He is not created, nor is
He similar to His creation in any way. He is “The First”
with no beginning and “The Last” without end, as well
as being “The Eternal”. Therefore the question ‘who
created God?’ is nonsensical, because it is like saying
‘who created the uncreated creator?’

19
The Designed
Universe
In the Qur’an, God asks you to look
outwards as well as look inwards.
There is a universe which exists on a grand scale
around us and within our very own selves. The bodies
that we inhabit are considered a marvel of biomechanical
engineering. There is a delicate, precise balance on
which the universe runs and an orderly “cosmic
architecture”, which points to purposeful design.
Just by taking a look outside of our window,
we constantly observe a world which runs in cycles and
opposites. The seasons ebb and flow on a predetermined
order—bringing with them changes on the Earth.
Water makes its way round its cycle with structure and
routine. The moon goes through phases to signal the
passing of time. Day and night do not stop their pattern,
no matter what kind of day the sun is rising or setting on
for us.
MAKING SENSE OF GOD

20
These are some of the most basic things which an
untrained eye could list as the patterns of nature.
There are of course infinitely more complex and
nuanced examples, which are as numerous as they
are awe-inspiring the deeper you delve into them.
Everything within the universe obeys laws which—if
were different—would not allow complex conscious
life to flourish.
All of the physical phenomena we observe around us
(from celestial objects, humans, animals, vegetation,
alternation of night and day) are referenced as proof of
divine precision in the Qur’an. God focuses particularly
on the balance and harmony in which all things have
been created:
It is the Lord of Mercy who taught the Qur’an.
He created man and taught him to communicate.
The sun and the moon follow their calculated
courses; the plants and the trees submit to His
designs; He has raised up the sky. He has set the
balance so that you may not exceed in the balance:
weigh with justice and do not fall short in the
balance. He set down the Earth for His creatures,
with its fruits, its palm trees with sheathed clusters,
its husked grain, its fragrant plants. Which, then,
of your Lord’s blessings do you both deny?
MAKING SENSE OF GOD

21
This Qur’anic approach is in sync with the idea that this
universe we have has a set of physical laws which are
precisely set for life—in particular human existence.
There is a sensitive arrangement in the natural laws of
the universe, which allows for life to exist. Without them
as they are, complex life wouldn’t be possible.
Consider gravity as an example. It is the force of
attraction between two masses. Without it there would
be no force to aggregate things. This would mean no
stars (or planets) and therefore no sustainable source
of energy to facilitate life. Everything would be a dark,
empty vacuum. Another interesting example is the
electromagnetic force.
This unique force affects everything in the universe and
is responsible for giving things strength, shape, and
hardness. Atoms would not exist without it because
nothing would keep the electrons in orbit. Without atoms,
there is no life. The electromagnetic force also causes
chemical bonding by attracting charges.
Without this too life could not exist. A startling fact about
electromagnetic force is that it is a one force strength,
yet it satisfies many different requirements. The defining
point is that the strength of these forces is extremely
precise. There is very little room for them to vary without
life becoming impossible.
THE DESIGNED UNIVERSE

22
The arrangement of the universe displays an intricate
order that allows life to flourish. Without this in place
life most likely would simply not be able to flourish.
There are many examples; however, a small selection
here will suffice to demonstrate this order in action.
Consider the position of our planet. One of the
life-supporting features of our planet is its distance
from the sun.
The Earth is located in what is called ‘the habitable
zone’. This region is defined as the “region where
heating from the central star provides a planetary
surface temperature at which a water ocean neither
freezes over nor exceeds boiling point”. If our planet
was any closer to the sun, it would be too hot to host
life. If it were farther away, it would be too cold to
facilitate complex life such as you and me.
Take into account that the Earth has a friendly celestial
‘neighbour’: Jupiter. The absence of this gas giant in our
solar system would have severe implications for life on
Earth. This is because Jupiter acts as a cosmic shield.
It prevents comets and asteroids from bombarding our
planet. This is because of its gravitational pull, which
“sucks up” asteroids. Without our friendly neighbour,
the gas giant, the development of advanced life simply
may not have been possible.
MAKING SENSE OF GOD

23
Reflect on the lunar tides. The relatively large size
of the Earth’s moon is responsible for tides due to
its gravitational pull. After the moon’s formation, it was
closer to the Earth than it is now, but this proximity
was short-lived. If the moon had not receded there
would have been serious effects on our planet.
These include heating of the Earth’s surface, which
would have prevented complex life from emerging.
A closer moon would have flexed the Earth’s crust and
produced frictional heating, possibly melting its surface.
Think about the stabilisation of the tilt of the Earth’s spin
axis, which the moon is responsible for. The angle of
the tilt relative to the orbit plane remains almost fixed.
It has remained steady for hundreds of millions of years
due to the gravitational pull of the moon.
If the moon were smaller, or had a different location in
relation to the Sun and Jupiter, it would not provide the
long-term stability of the Earth’s temperature.
“Our study shows only a tiny fraction of planetary
systems observed to date seem to have giant planets
in the right location to produce an asteroid belt of
the appropriate size, offering the potential for life
on a nearby rocky planet…Our study suggests that
our solar system may be rather special”.3
Rebecca Martin, a NASA Sagan Fellow who studied
the influence of Jupiter, states:

24
If our planet didn’t have a moon at all, the climate
would be dynamic, severe and ever-changing.
Small organisms may have emerged from this,
but not complex life as we know it. Pondering upon
these physical laws as well as the remarkable order
of the universe implies a purposeful design behind
the cosmos. Humans, which occupy this cosmos,
are also a marvel of design and function.
The physical body with all its interconnected systems
is known as one of the most advanced structures in
the entire universe. Every day we are treated to novel
and fascinating discoveries about how parts of our
bodies function—from the vast information within our
DNA to how our eyes and brain work together to
paint the picture of the world which we see.
When we look into the biological world we see natural
technologies that surpass anything humans can conjure
up. All of the signs within the cosmos and within
ourselves should lead us be in awe of the creative
power of God. The signature of design is all around us.
We may have spent a lifetime looking for what is right in
front of us.
We will show them Our signs in the horizons and
within themselves until it becomes clear to them
that it is the truth.

25
The God
Conclusion
Since God has created everything,
He continually sustains the entire
cosmos and provides for us out of
His bounty.
The Qur’an continually repeats this concept in various
ways. This, in turn, evokes a sense of gratitude and awe
in the heart of the listener or reader:
It was He who created all that is on the Earth for you.
God is far above the partners they set up alongside
Him! How can they set up with Him these partners
that create nothing and are themselves created?
MAKING SENSE OF GOD

26
O mankind, remember God’s grace towards you.
Is there any creator other than God to give you
sustenance from the heavens and earth? There is
no god but Him. How can you be so deluded?
Therefore, everything we use in our daily lives, and all
of the essential things that we require to survive, are due
to God. Since God created everything that exists, He is
the owner and master of everything, including us.
Hence, we must stand in a sense of awe and gratitude
to Him. Since God is our master, we must be
His servants.
To deny this is not only to reject reality, but it is the height
of ingratitude, arrogance and thanklessness. We are not
self-sufficient, even if some of us are deluded in thinking
that we are. Whether we live a life of luxury and ease or
poverty and hardship, we are ultimately dependent on
God. Nothing in this universe is possible without Him
and whatever happens is due to His will.
Our success in business and the great things that we
may achieve are ultimately because of God. He created
the causes in the universe that we use to achieve
success, and if He does not allow us to succeed it will
never happen. Understanding our ultimate dependency
on God should evoke an immense sense of humility in
our hearts.
MAKING SENSE OF GOD

27
But man exceeds all bounds when he thinks he
is self-sufficient.
We should humble ourselves before God and thank
Him, as a form of worship. One of the biggest barriers
to divine guidance and mercy is the delusion of
self-sufficiency, which is ultimately based on ego and
arrogance. The Qur’an makes this point clear:
Belief in God is not just some abstract idea; it has
deep profound meaning in our everyday lives. There are
deep questions for which our hearts are yearning for
convincing answers: What is the purpose of life?
What are we here for and what happens after we die?
How can we attain inner peace? Why do evil things
happen to good people? Will people who do wrong
really escape justice or will they meet their just rewards
in the next life?
Belief in God allows us to explore answers that make
sense rationally as well as intuitively. This is because
convincing answers to these questions can only
reasonably come from the Creator of all things whose
wisdom, insight and knowledge encompasses what
ours never can.
THE GOD CONCLUSION

28
The life of this world is like this: rain that We send
down from the sky is absorbed by the plants of the
earth, from which humans and animals eat. But when
the earth has taken on its finest appearance, and
adorns itself, and its people think they have power
over it, then the fate We commanded comes to it,
by night or by day, and We reduce it to stubble, as if
it had not flourished just the day before. This is the
way We explain the revelations for those who reflect.
But God invites [everyone] to the Home of Peace, and
guides whoever He will to a straight path.
Those who did well will have the best reward and
more besides. Neither darkness nor shame will cover
their faces: these are the companions in Paradise, and
there they will remain. As for those who did evil, each
evil deed will be requited by its equal and humiliation
will cover them – no one will protect them against
God– as though their faces were covered with veils cut
from the darkness of the night. These are the inmates
of the Fire, and there they shall remain.
If this booklet has awoken within you some sense of
wonder about God (or even left you confused) just ask
God for guidance, sincerely from the depths of your
heart. He will guide you to recognise His signs and find
peace of heart, so that you may find tranquillity in this
life and the next.
THE GOD CONCLUSION

References
1. Most of this booklet is an adaption of various parts of
Chapters 2, 4, 5, 8 and 15 of Hamza Andreas Tzortzis’s
book “The Divine Reality: God, Islam & The Mirage of
Atheism” published by FB Publishing, 2016.
2. Hamza Andreas Tzortzis. The Divine Reality: God,
Islam & The Mirage of Atheism. FB Publishing, 2016.
Chapter 5.
3. ‘No Jupiter, no advanced life? ’ - evolution may
be impossible in Star Systems without a giant planet
(2012). Available at: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_
weblog/2012/11/would-advanced-life-be-impossible
-in-star-systems-without-a-jupiter-.html [Accessed 2nd
October 2016].
29REFERENCES

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